Boronizing technology is currently utilized for surface treatment of metal substrates. Boronization of metal substrates provides enhanced properties of the metal substrate, such as increased hardness, high wear, erosion and corrosion resistance, high fatigue life, good oxidation resistance, and others. Chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, pack boronizing, paste boronizing, liquid boronizing, gas boronizing, plasma boronizing, and fluidized bed boronizing are examples of conventional boronizing technologies. Current boronization techniques require high temperatures and long processing times. These conditions lead to a degradation of mechanical properties of metal substrates, requiring a post-heat treatment of the boronized metal substrates. The result is inflexible boronization and high cost for the multi-step treatment process.
A simple, cost-effective boronization process that provides the enhanced properties of the metal substrate at lower temperatures, reduced time, and without the additional post-heat treatment would be beneficial, as would reagents and compositions to employ such processes.